An insanely long time between posts: Day One, cont'd.

So i spent the past week a.) recovering and b.) getting used to going back to work after having the entire festival off. Conclusions: 1.) going back to work at a job that you aren't even that stoked about sucks. 2.) we (and by we, i mean me) only need to go on a bender like that once a year. i await next year's festival both with quivering anticipation and trepidation.

The final band of the evening Wednesday at the Yacht Club was the most excellent Cartright, from Austin, TX. This band could have tore this club to the ground, and probably is in the top 5 bands i saw this weekend. They played new songs as well as all the songs off their self-released EP "A Tall Tale Comes of Age." The band recently became a six piece and looked very comfortable as such. Lead singer Ben Russell rocks the acoustic guitar and a fierce beard, as noted in photos. His smoky voice irritated me the first time i heard the record - it's now endeared itself to me drastically. Without a doubt, the band mixes an indie rock barroom feel with a southwestern vibe as well as anyone. It's far too raucous to be alt-country, but rather bears the dusty troubadour sound that makes me think that this is what the Refreshments might have sounded like if they were more restless and weren't signed to a major label. Perhaps what amazed me the most is how well the crowd responded to all these bands on the first night despite the fact that none of them have much of an audience, nor had they played Iowa City, at least in recent memory. It was a testament to the people's taste in good music here in IC, as many turned out for an incredibly successful first night of the festival.